Colorado

News alert: I’m moving out west, to Colorado!

Updated: May 16, 2016

For the past 7 years I’ve been working in New York City and for last 5 I’ve been a resident of the Garden State, New Jersey. To be truthful, I never thought I’d be working in New York nor did I ever imagine living in New Jersey, yet in the end I’m incredibly grateful for the experience of it all.

Coming this June however Emily (my wife) and I are packing up ship and heading out west to Colorado where she will be pursing a graduate degree from the University of Denver’s School of Social Work—focusing on animal-assisted therapy.

While this will be a big move for the both of us I am incredibly proud to see her take on this new challenge as she shifts out of her career as an Event Manager and into something that I’m certain she will find more gratifiying at the days end. This is truly a difficult decision for anyone, and yet it’s one that I genuinely admire as it takes confidence in yourself to commit to such a bold new direction.

For myself, working in NYC has been a dream, albeit one that I had never dreamt myself. Perhaps I never imagined living here because I grew up only a train ride away, on the shore of Connecticut. Or maybe it is because I myself have always been a fan of the outdoors, mountains, nature, camping, etc. Even still, it could be because of my parents, who always took me and my sisters hiking and camping. Whatever the reason may be, I’m more than humbled for my time spent here; I wouldn’t change it for the world.

What is a certainty, however, is that New York has shaped me, how could it not? Countless life events have taken place while I’ve been here. I met Emily at my first job nearly 7 years ago, I’ve developed numerous friendships, I’ve tried a number of new foods, I’ve been exposed to new opinions, I’ve thrown myself into new scenarios…the list goes on, and on, for sure. Most certainly though, New York has most definitely molded my career.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the smartest and most genuine folks I’ve yet to meet while growing as both a designer, and more importantly, a problem solver. My eyes have been widened to the worlds problems, and I’ve been enabled to sharpen my design skills and talents. I won’t name names as the list would be too long, yet in the end, I’m incredibly grateful for everyone I’ve worked with over these years, wherever/whoever you are, you’ve helped shape me as a designer. Thank you.

All of this to simply say, I’ll truly miss New York.

Yet, as bittersweet as it is to leave this great, big, scary city, I’m equally excited to try something new. Dwell in one place for too long and I believe that it is tough to see the world from another angle. As a couple, we aren’t tied down with kids or a mortgage, so we’ve asked, heck even told ourselves, if not now, then when?

Now you might be wondering what will I be doing next? That’s the number one question I’m asked lately so allow me to highlight a few of the things on my mind and plate:

For starters, I’m working on learning iOS development and Swift through the amazing book Design+Code, from Meng To, this in itself has been a gratifying and challenging new experience.

I’ve also been occuping my time with a few side projects. Namely, GRYSCL, which is a community for black and white street photographers.

Outside of work, I’ve been taking more time for myself. I’m reading more regularly, cycling much more often, and have been reflecting on the work I’ve created these past few years.

Holistically, I’m being more decisive and considerate with the work I take on and how it relates to my values.

In general, my intent is to be more aware and honest with myself and the things I create.

Of course, outside of my work, dealing with our move is the top priority. We are getting down to crunch time so packing, visiting with friends and family, and securing a place to live (we secured a place!) are all at the top of our list.

My time in New York City is limited and slowly I’m coming to grasps with this certainly. I’ll miss so many things about New York—and the North East in general—but mostly it’s the people that have made this place home for me that I’ll miss the most.

If you’d like to hang before I leave don’t hesitate to send me an email. Yet like I said, I’m sure I’ll be visiting regularly, so don’t be a stranger.